Power Hour Interclub swim session

Last Saturday evening our usual club swim was transformed, as was the club swim for Littlehampton's original tri club, Tuff Fitty Triathlon Club who, just so any reader of this blog might discover, was founded by Steve and I roughly 27 years ago or maybe longer than that when we first took up the sport ourselves. Now every Saturday evening we share the pool for training of two clubs. Our club is much more a swimmers club although there are still a few of us that are also triathletes.

Although I am not sure exactly whose brain child the Power Hour was, I strongly suspect Clive and Nicole Patterson-Lett had much to do with bringing it about. It was such a success that I hope it will become at least an annual event. 

What it boiled down to was something to lift our swimmers spirits in the midst of yet another major named storm (Dennis) blowing its head off outside, whilst inside the brand new this year Littlehampton Wave pool complex, there was a very friendly inter-club event going on.Members of both clubs were placed in teams of mixed ability for a non stop Power Hour of continuous 100 metre swims. There were two teams per lane with half a lane for each team of course. Tumble turns were not allowed.

Whilst we gathered before the event start, Nicole handed me a list of teams so that I could advice and introduce my Trinity members to the TFTC members that they would be swimming with and see that they found their team lane. The reason I was not actually participating was that I had been to nearby St Richards Hospital in Chichester and had three biopsy’s done on suspect sun damage spots on my face, on my poor old skin ravaged by thirty years of long races, in when I would be out biking and running all day long in the sun. Note here: slap the sun block on folks. Anyway they were not healed fit for me to join in the fun by that evening. 

My husband/triathlon coach Steve had been working in France at a series of Antiques fairs for ten days and only arrived home in time to grab his swim kit bag and join me to head down to Littlehampton Wave in time for the fun to event to begin, though his daily routine had been ten days of drive the truck-work-eat-sleep. No training! He thought that the session would wash the weariness away. E did enjoy everything apart from a touch of cramp, probably due to so many hours sitting still driving on the approach to the invitation evening.

So when the red hand of the timing clock reached the top, at 5pm, the teams were off, doing continuous 100 metre swims, then getting out of the water whilst the other team members thrashed through their own 100 metres before getting back in for the next. I spoke to a number of swimmers as I wandered around checking on my chickens, who all said “I think I went out too fast on the first one”! One swimmer got out a little way after the thirty minute mark saying “I want my Mum”! My husband has a catch phrase to use at those moments which is “Shut up and swim”! Over the years he has been presented with a caps and poolside shirts and tee shirts with that slogan printed on them.

It was a truly fun evening and I think it honest and true to say that everybody thoroughly enjoyed it, so thanks to the Tuff mob for inventing it and inviting our lot to test themselves in a slightly different way. 

I think the photos confirm my words that the mixed ability and ages of the twin club members were at least equal in the pleasure taken from the session. As a prime example, the top photo is of Verity-Jane Lacey with her daughter Darcy who are in fact, photo-bombing my long shot of the pool. Verity was a member of Tuff Fitty when we first started the club and she was about the same age as her daughter is now. Verity's mother June, was Manager at the Aquarena in Worthing, where we held a couple of our weekly club swim sessions. One was at 6.30 am on Wednesdays, where we picked up a number of police officers who had been on nights and some staff from the hospital the other side of the park. Among the swimmers doing the Power Hour some a have similar history, proof of that is a group shot of a swim camp at Club La Santa. Among the glamour is a paramedic, fire fighter,

nurse and a doctor.

Below is a short Facebook report from TFTC 

CONGRATULATIONS Tuff Fitty and Trinity swimmers. 52 of you blasted thru a total of... 32miles, just over 51km. You’re ALL winners in the eyes of your Captains 😉 but Team15 (Tom Frith, Lee Cullen and Spencer Scott) claimed the most 100’s
Thanks to all those that made the effort to turn up and be on time.
Thanks to our motivational coaches - Cliff, Debbie, Kev and Daphne.
And a special shout out to DJ Roper for the tunes!
Watch this space for more Captain’s events throughout the year 😁